This term in English, Year Two are looking at their new book,’ Vlad and the Great Fire of London’
To launch this book, the children were shown images of houses that were similar to those that were around in 1666. They quickly identified that they were very different from modern houses because they were made of wood and had thatched rooves. The children then created their own versions of these houses by drawing designs on plain paper before sticking them to cardboard boxes.
Once the houses had all been made, they were arranged on the field as if they were a street in London in 1666. This meant that the houses were very close together. One of the houses at the end of the street was set on fire and the children saw how quickly the fire could spread from house to house.
After that, the children explored a range of reading activities as they read their book. They were shown images of the two main characters and predicted who they were and whether or not they would escape from the fire, giving reasons for their answers. They also looked closely at the vocabulary in the story, identifying key words and phrases that showed that the main characters were good friends. Next, the children looked closely at a small section of the book and thought carefully about how the characters would feel. They used their inference skills and completed speech and thought bubbles to reflect the character’s thoughts and feelings.
Finally, the children looked at an example of a letter, in preparation for their future writing. They identified and highlighted the different features that they found.
The boys and girls have really enjoyed learning about the Great Fire of London through this story and are excited to find out more.
Article 28: We all have the right to a good quality education
